What follows is a mish-mash of some of our favorite posts, our top-choice burger joints, books we like and think you should read, and other fun beef-and-bun miscellanea.
2038 E 4th Street, Cleveland, OH 44115 (map); 216-443-0511; thegreenhousetavern.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Phenomenal restaurant with heavy bent towards sustainability puts out a pair of top-notch burgers Want Fries With That? Yes, especially the animal frites Price: Beef burger, $15; lamb burger, $17; both include fries; animal style frites, $13
Cleveland native Jonathon Sawyer, one of Food & Wine's "Best New Chefs" in 2010, made a name for himself before he opened The Greenhouse Tavern three years ago. With multiple stints in New York and Cleveland under his belt, including multiple positions under chef Charlie Palmer and a stint as the opening chef de cuisine at Michael Symon's Lolita, there was no question he had the chops. But when he went out on his own at Bar Cento in Cleveland (he no longer has a connection to the place) and then at The Greenhouse Tavern, he established himself as one of the best and most conscientious chefs you'll find anywhere.
From the commitment to local food sources and suppliers to a heavy reliance on recycled materials throughout the restaurant to the greenhouse on the roof to Sawyer's personal involvement in the Slow Food Movement, Sawyer's commitment to sustainability, passionately articulated in this speech, permeates every aspect of the restaurant. But social conscience only carries a restaurant so far; it ultimately comes down to the creativity and execution in the kitchen. And in that regard, Sawyer is even more impressive.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, February 8, 2012 at 4:00 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Pier Burger
330 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica CA 90401 (map); 310-587-2747; pierburger.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: A new Shake Shack-esque burger restaurant makes some burgers that match up to the original Want Fries with That? Oh, yes! These skinny-cut fries are fantastic! Prices: Pier Burger (w/ cheese), $4.50 (single), $6.50 (double)
If you're an Angeleno and anything like me you probably avoid The Santa Monica Pier like the plague. Don't get me wrong, I love an old-school pier—the all day fishers and ocean breezes never fail to evoke the best memories of my youth—but the Santa Monica Pier is nothing like the authentic piers of my memory. Rather, it's a self-styled tourist trap that literalizes the amusement park metaphor; that is to say, there really is a small amusement park aloft the pier that affords roller coaster views of the breakers.
But as tourist traps go, things could be much worse. Route 66 dips into the Santa Monica Bay, which stretches out for miles around you as the mild air floats between pleasant and meteorological perfection.
A recent visit from some out-of-town friends prompted revisiting the Santa Monica Pier. As expected, there were throngs of tourists crushing for room for a view. As you'd imagine, there was little fun to be had for me on this visit until I spotted a friendly sign: Pier Burger. Delightful. A new burger to try with my guests made the visit less the exercise in patience I'd expected it would be. In fact, the burger itself was attraction enough.
5505 Belt Line Road, Dallas TX 75254 (map); 972-503-5253; 7 locations listed at jakesburgers.net Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Unlike many older joints, Jake's hasn't been overtaken by the recent burger revolution—its greasy deliciousness is as appealing as ever Want Fries with That? Get the crispier, battered Jumpin' Jake Fries over the regular ones Price: Jake's Special burger, $5.99; battered fries, $1.99; jalapeño bottle cap burger, $6.79; tater tots, $1.79; root beer, $2.50 Notes: Full bar. Breakfast available.
By north Texas standards, Jake's Hamburgers is positively ancient at over 25 years old. This local favorite predates the recent drive towards gourmet burgers with artisan toppings—it's very much a product of the fast-food age, albeit with some Texas quirks, and the menu reflects this. However, Jake's can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best burger places in town.
We visited one of its newer locations, just off the tollway in Addison, to find it relatively quiet for a Friday evening. That's as much to do with the restaurant's design as anything else—spacious and bright, there are two bars and three seating areas, all distinct from each other but interconnected. For a joint that has to serve local old-timers their weekend beer fix as well as young families and out-of-town businesspeople, it does a great job of making everyone feel welcome in their own space.
The same goes for the waitstaff, who were both friendly and informative. Not that I needed much information: I knew what I wanted, which was the Jake's Special. That's the fairly classic fast-food formula of two quarter-pound patties of beef that's ground fresh daily, Thousand Island, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. No onion, no pickle—unusual for Texas, but there you are.
Posted by Will Gordon, February 6, 2012 at 2:15 PM
[Photographs: Will Gordon]
Wahlburgers
19 Shipyard Drive, Hingham MA 02043 (map); 781-749-2110; wahlburgers.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: This Wahlberg family restaurant is heavy on the branding but has the burgers to back it up Want Fries with That? Stick with the tater tots, regular or sweet potato Price: Single cheeseburger, $4.50; double, $6.95; triple $9; specialty burgers, $6.25 to $7.95 Notes: Full bar; open till 1 a.m. daily
When my sister and I were little, my mom took us to the library a lot, and I was always bothered by the author-aggrandizing typography on the books my mom checked out. The overall cover designs were excellent—it was the '80s and my mom liked spy-type books, so there were lots of hammers and sickles, an unlikely number of submarines and helicopters, and even the odd swastika—but I didn't like that the author's name was always in such huge type compared to the title.
I went to the library looking for books about baseball and criminals, so I scanned the shelves looking for those keywords. Why would it matter who did the typing if the story was about something ridiculous like trucks or policemen? I kinda get the point now, but I still harbor suspicions about any product that seems more about the guy who made the thing than about the thing itself. I don't want a Picasso, I just want a pretty picture.
So I had mixed emotions when Boston's two most famous Wahlbergs, Mark and Donnie, announced plans to bankroll their brother Paul's burger operation in the Hingham Shipyard. I have a vaguely positive impression of the Hollywood Wahlbergs, and Paul is said to do good things with Italian food at his first restaurant, Alma Nove. And everybody likes hamburgers and an excuse to take the commuter ferry to Hingham.
But still: a burger place run by Wahlbergs called Wahlburgers? I feared that the quasi-pun, borderline narcissist name was a bad sign. Even if Paul's an accomplished chef and the other brothers would be crazy NOT to capitalize on the Wahlberg name in their South Shore stronghold, it still seems a tad cheesy. I was expecting a good burger but also bracing myself for a possible letdown if the place turned out to be more focused on the marketing than the meat.
Posted by David Kover, February 3, 2012 at 1:45 PM
[Photographs: David Kover]
NOPA
560 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 (map); 415-864-8643; nopasf.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A beefy, funky patty of grass-fed beef that lives up to the hype Want Fries with That? They come with the burger, and they're tasty Price: Burger, $13; cheese, +$1.50
22,500. That's how many hamburgers NOPAreportedly sold last year. Not quite billions and billions served, but a fair bit of ground beef for a single restaurant that doesn't even offer weekday lunch. Given its popularity, it's not surprising that NOPA's burger has its share of breathless fans and an almost permanent spot on many of the local best-of lists.
When faced with this much hype, the contrarian side of my character always expects to be disappointed. But NOPA's burger delivers on the promise made by the buzz—and all those sales receipts.
1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 20, Atlanta GA 30318 (Map); 404-968-2033; ormsbys.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: Super-fun speakeasy with killer pub grub on the main floor, grown-up games downstairs... and bars on both levels Want Fries with That? Oh yeah, plus at least one of the dipping sauces... preferably house-made cheese whiz Price: Bruno Burger, $10 with side
The first thing you need to know is how to find the damn place. There's no signage. Anywhere. This self-described "neighborhood tavern" hides in plain sight in a sprawling former-industrial-plant-turned-mixed-use-complex amidst some high-rent retail tenants and literally in the shadows of some of the city's most esteemed restaurants. But tucked away underneath a fairly nondescript stairwell is a solid wood door marked with a script O. Behind that door is Ormsby's: a place with a cult-like following, an extensive menu of craft beers and bar cocktails, and more than its share of awesome surprises, only one of which is a tasty-as-hell burger.
The Bruno Burger is the only one on the menu at Ormsby's, but this one comes with a full backstory. It's named after Warren Bruno, who founded Atkins Park (the city's oldest continuously-licensed tavern) and Aunt Charley's (a popular Buckhead hang back in the day, now defunct), and today is a partner at Ormsby's. The Bruno Burger has been on every one of his restaurant menus since 1976, meaning that millions of them have been sold to hungry Atlantans over the decades.
219 E Michigan St, Milwaukee WI 53202 (map); 414-276- 8150; swingindoorexchange.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Great burgers, patty melts and daily specials in a location that's been a bar since 1933 Want Fries With That? Pretty good for frozen, but the signature spicy vermouth carrots are a more interesting option Price: Big KC burger (special), $10.95; patty melt, $8.50; homemade chips and Cajun ranch appetizer, $4
There's a certain kind of bar that exists in Milwaukee—and all over Wisconsin—where you get the feeling when you walk in that you've gone back in time. You know immediately that people have been bellying up to the same wooden bar for more than a few decades and it makes you want to become a regular too. Dark wood paneling and outdated (or antique?) beer memorabilia never seem to go out of style at these bars.
When I walked into Swingin' Door Exchange, I knew it had been around for a long time. I hadn't done a lot of research into the history before going, however, so I was a little confused by the "established 2010" on the sign out front. Turns out, Swingin' Door has been a bar (and later a restaurant) since the end of the Prohibition Era, 1933. Makes sense, given the cozy interior full of dark stained glass and little alcoves. The current owners purchased it in 2010 and from what I can tell, have kept the history and charm of the place alive.
5211 Forest Lane, Dallas TX 75244 (map); 972-239-2100; givemelibertyburger.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: Superb beef blend and wide array of toppings suggests great promise at this new startup Want Fries with That? Putting the 'string' in shoestring, they're delicious only when hot. Sweet potato fries a better option Price: Wild West burger, $7; bison cheeseburger, $9; skinny fries, $2; sweet potato fries, $2.50; soft drinks, $2 Notes: Brand new restaurant, owned by a famous Dallas food family. Bizarre seating/ordering system. Takeout available.
"Give me Liberty Burger or let me starve," screams the tagline to this recently-opened North Dallas neighborhood spot. While I wouldn't go that far, my first visit would see me modify the motto to, "Give me Liberty Burger ahead of 90 percent of the other offerings in the area, but I also hope it improves a bit so that it can really live up to its potential." (Granted, that's not quite as snappy and might not fit on the flyers.) Still, here we find a burger place that could, with a few changes, be counted among the city's best.
Liberty Burger is owned by the Street siblings, Mariel, Gene Jr., and Dace, children of local favorite restauranteur Gene Street. His operations range from the French-Texas upscale III Forks to family-style Good Eats; given such a wide range, a griddled-to-order custom burger place seems like a natural step. Taking up corner space in a strip mall just off Inwood, it's a fine location, a stone's throw from both leafy North Dallas and the ever-crowded Tollway area. As such it was no surprise to see the restaurant packed with all age groups at 5 p.m. on a Friday.
Those braving the crowds will find a welcome addition to the Dallas burger scene—albeit one that needs a bit of work to join the top five. Since Liberty Burger is fairly new—about three months old—the problems can be put down to teething; as soon as they're fixed, the Streets are onto yet another winner.
18066 Royalton Road, Strongsville OH 44136 (map) and 3 other locations; 440-572-9600; bspotburgers.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Fast casual deliciousness from Iron Chef Michael Symon Want Fries With That? These reminders of the power of lard are definitely worth it Price: Burgers range from $6 to $11 Notes: No reservations, can get crowded
Long before Michael Symon became a nationally known celebrity chef, the Cleveland native was a culinary icon in his hometown. Lola, the multiple award-winning flagship restaurant in the Symon empire, has been a local favorite since it opened in 1997. In 2005, he opened the more accessible and affordable Lolita, and three years later, he opened Roast in Detroit, both of which have garnered significant praise and solidified his standing as a master of meat.
But Symon's career really became significant in 2009. No, it wasn't because that was the year he won The James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Great Lakes. And it wasn't because that was his first full year as an Iron Chef. 2009 was huge because that was the year he opened the first two locations of B Spot.
From the booze (more than 30 craft beers and a dozen bourbons) to the decor to the random menu items like the fried bologna sandwich (reviewed here), every little detail of B Spot is impressive. But nothing there outshines the burgers, which routinely draw hordes of Clevelanders to all three locations as well as the stand at Quicken Loans Arena that's only open when the Cavaliers are playing. And unlike a certain other former Cleveland resident, when Symon takes his talents to South Beach, he does nothing but win. Come this February, he will defend his back-to-back wins of the People's Choice Award at the SoBe Wine & Food Festival.
Posted by David Kover, January 20, 2012 at 10:30 AM
[Photographs: David Kover]
Avedano's Meat Wagon
Proxy SF, 432 Octavia Blvd, San Francisco CA 94102 (map); 415-285-MEAT; avedanos.com/meatwagon Short Order: A butcher truck that delivers a pre-made patty for you to cook at home made of a tasty mix of chuck and lardo butter Want Fries with That?Sure! Price: $9.50 per pound, ~$4 per burger
Avedano's Holly Park Market sits perched on one of San Francisco's many hills, tucked away in Bernal Heights. The location means it can be hard to access the sustainably-raised meat sold in their craft butcher shop. Or, that was the case until this past October, when Avedano's launched San Francisco's first mobile butcher truck and, like Moses descending the mountain, brought their meat to us. To go with a bounty of steaks and chops, they often bring along a stack of their signature lardo burgers, patties of grass-fed beef mixed with pork fat. These, my fellow meat devotees, are worth trying.
No mere cooler on wheels, Avedano's ferries its meat down the hill in a refurbished vintage Ford ambulance. Playing on the old-timey slang for an ambulance, they even call it their Meat Wagon. A cherry red paint job, a working siren, and a V8 engine under the hood make this get-up the kind of thing that's just as likely to attract gearheads as, er, meatheads. The truck parks Thursday through Sunday in Proxy SF, an outdoor food-art-culture space in Hayes Valley that also plays home to such delights as Smitten Ice Cream, a biergarten (called Biergarten!), and occasional visits from Casey's Pizza Truck.
Posted by Damon Gambuto, January 18, 2012 at 1:30 PM
[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]
Home Restaurant
1760 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles CA 90027 (map); 323-665-4663; homelosfeliz.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A great neighborhood spot makes a (mostly) excellent burger that delivers on the char Want Fries with That? Sure; solid and satisfying waffle cut fries are seasoned nicely Prices: LA Classic Burger w/ fries, $9.95
I can remember first going to Home over a decade ago and thinking it was a cool, new concept restaurant: comfort food served in a self-consciously casual environment with mismatched flatware and mason jars for glasses. These days I think they call that restaurant movement Williamsburg (or something like that). For a transplanted New Yorker during the '90s, the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles was the center of cool, good, and, most importantly, affordable food.
Home, like its neighborhood (and this aged burger reviewer), has grown up into something of a comfortable, bourgeois creature, but that doesn't mean it can't still get the basics right. Of course, for me there is nothing more basic, more redolent of home than a delicious burger. On a recent lunchtime excursion to this old friend of a restaurant I was pleased to find that they still get it (mostly) right.
509 West Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee WI 53203 (map); 414-271-2337; millertimepub.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: A hotel restaurant that actually has great burgers with loads of different topping choices Want Fries With That? Frozen thin-cut fries are boring; the cheese curds and soup are better Price: Miller Time Pub burger, $11; Brew City burger, $11; Ale House cheeseburger, $8.50; Wisconsin cheese curds, $9; bowl of soup upgrade, $2
Hotel restaurants don't usually get much attention, and in fact are mostly dismissed as being uninteresting and low quality. There are a few places that break out of the stereotype, and I found one of them: Miller Time Pub, located in the Hilton Milwaukee downtown.
Over the years I've heard vaguely negative things about the place, mostly that it's standard bar food and a better place to have a beer than a meal. I can't speak to what it was like before, but I noticed recently that Miller Time Pub totally revamped their menu. Since it's got a major emphasis on burgers (almost half the total menu), I decided it was finally time to give it a shot. Now I can tell any naysayers that the burgers were pretty tasty, making it more than just a necessary hotel add-on where you'd only find business travelers.
2255 140th Ave NE, #B, Bellevue WA 98005 (map); 425-747-7818; wibbleys.com Cooking Method: Charbroiled Short Order: English pub-style restaurant is a local favorite and a burger haven for those wanting a good, affordable quarter-pound burger Want Fries with That? Fries come in half or full-sized orders, but skip fries and go for onion rings Price: Wibbley's Gourmet Burger, $4.69; extra beef patty, +$1.49; 1/2 order fries, $1.49, full order, $2.49, onion rings, $3.29 Note: Cash or check only; restaurant has an ATM
You wouldn't expect to find an English pub-style hamburger joint along a busy street dotted with car dealerships and chain stores, but sure enough, as you drive by an old stripmall off 140th Avenue NE east of Seattle, a funny name on a sign may catch your eye: Wibbley's Burgers, a popular local lunchtime burger joint.
When you walk in the cozy and narrow space, you're immediately faced with the ordering desk framed with shelves of quirky collectibles and a view into their kitchen, sizzling with the sounds of charbroiling meat and cracking with the sounds of frying potatoes. Surrounded by dark mahogany wood, this quick-serve hamburger joint definitely feel more like an ale house, but don't try to order a pint of Guinness—they don't serve liquor.
261 Moore Street, Brooklyn NY 11206 (map); 718-417-1118; robertaspizza.com Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: Insanely tasty burger made with prime dry-aged LaFrieda chopped meat is certainly the great fancy-pants burger bargain in NYC (and maybe anywhere) Want Fries With That? "Fries" are irregularly cut fingerlings that are crunchy and crisp on the outside and creamy and tender on the inside Price: Cheeseburger, $12 Note: Only available at lunch
Since I arrived early for a business lunch at Roberta's, I decided to do the ordering for my lunch companion. Without even thinking about the fact that she's what she calls herself a recovering vegetarian, I ordered a cheeseburger, a pizza with sausage among other toppings, and a calzone loaded with ham. She arrived just about the same time the cheeseburger did, which would've maybe been okay except that the cheeseburger was so damn good our business conversation ground to a halt.
Who knew that the Roberta's folks—justifiably renowned for their pizza, their way with pork, and the tasting menus that are so popular there are currently 400 people on its wait list—served a killer burger that would render me speechless?
900 Bourbon Street, New Orleans LA 70116 (map); 504-525-9053, clovergrill.com Cooking Method: Steamed on a flat griddle Short Order: 24 hours a day, you can get the best steamed burger in the French Quarter featuring a 1/2-pound patty steamed under a real hubcap Want Fries with That? They come from a foodservice bag, but are far better with chili and cheese Prices: Burger, $5.79; cheese, +$1; w/bacon, mushrooms, egg or chili, +$1.49; w/extra patty, + $4.29; fries, $2.79
Bourbon Street is known for its laissez-faire attitudes, for bars and strip joints, souvenir shops and voodoo houses. The restaurants along the way range from Café Beignet's pastries and sandwiches to Galatoire's fine upscale dining. But where do you go for a burger on the street best identified with New Orleans?
You go to Clover Grill, that's where. The little diner at the corner of Bourbon and Dumaine is popular with the LGBT crowd, and it's the one place you can get a burger 24 hours a day in the French Quarter. It ain't cheap, but it is dependably good.
9546 Washington Blvd, Culver City CA 90232 (map); 310-837-9546; rushstreetculvercity.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: This Hollywood-sized gastropub production delivers a delicious burger, again! Want Fries with That? This solid iteration of shoestrings are worth a try, but the truffle fries might be the way to your heart Prices: Red Eye burger, $13; falafel burger, $10
For some, the start of 2012 marked the year of Mayan doom foretold. For me, the start of the new year reminded me that I am, ahem, of a certain age. That I'm still kicking and screaming about burgers in 2012—a number that once definitively signified "the future" to me—means I must be getting a little long in the tooth. The lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" are starting to make sense. Perhaps this is the time of year to look ahead by looking back.
I first wrote about Rush Street, the breathtakingly large gastropub and its equally breathtaking burger, in 2009. Back then I showed up with doubts and left a Rush Street believer. When I heard they were serving a New Year's Day hangover remedy in the form of a burger inspired by eggs Benedict I decided to ring in the new year with an old acquaintance.
839 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY (map); 646-600-7140; foodparc.com/eateries/3bs Cooking Method: Griddled Short Order: One of the best burgers in the city with some tasty variations Want Fries With That? Absolutely: The skinny fries are crisp and well seasoned Price: Reuben, $8.95; French Onion, $8.45; Crackling, $9.45; french fries, $2.95; 3Bs Chili, $6.75
When we first wrote about FoodParc, the midtown casual dining destination conceived and executed by Ed Schonfeld last September, we casually mentioned that the burger at 3Bs was "perhaps one of the top 5 under $10 in New York right now," I think we were understating. After having sampled that original burger a few more times—the one made with the Pat LaFrieda blend that features hanger steak, crisp fried onion rings, melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and a special Thousand Island-esque sauce on a potato roll—I'm confident in saying that it's one of the top 5 burgers in the city for any price (don't ask me to name the other four).
So I was excited to hear that they were adding a few more options to their lineup.
I'm not really one to judge a burger joint on its toppings—more often than not, burger joints with crazy toppings use them to cover up an inferior product (see Exhibit A: The Counter)—but in this case, with such a great burger as the base, what harm could a few crazy toppings do?
With 2012 almost here, it's time to round up our favorite burgers of 2011! Here are ten memorable burgers picked by our contributors from the over 250 reviews we published this year. What was your favorite burger of 2011?
Posted by David Kover, December 23, 2011 at 1:00 PM
[Photographs: David Kover]
Wayfare Tavern
558 Sacramento Street, San Francisco CA 94111(map); 415-772-9060; wayfaretavern.com Cooking Method: Grilled Short Order: Tender, flavorful beef topped with brie cheese and thick slices of bacon from celebrity chef Tyler Florence. It's seriously tasty, as long as the price doesn't turn your stomach Want Fries with That? Thin, crisp and nicely salty fries are included Price: Wayfare Burger "Le Grande"; $19; w/egg, +$2
When it comes to burgers served by celebrity chefs, I'm inclined to worry that I'll receive something with the culinary equivalent of a spray-on tan and frosted tips. How else do they demonstrate their kitchen stardom unless they apply a few gratuitous touches to the bread-patty-cheese combination? Well, at Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern, the burger certainly does arrive dressed up, but rather than something overwrought, Wayfare's Le Grande burger offers all sorts of satisfying flavor. You just have to be willing to pay for it.
A weekday lunch at Wayfare Tavern meant that my T-shirt and jeans stood out amongst the packed house of Financial District power lunchers. Despite their suits and ties, it appeared that many of these diners had come for the same reason I had—I heard two separate conversations about the "best burger in the city" while I sat waiting for my dining companion. The decor at Wayfare Tavern matches the crowd, all exposed brick, dark wood, and a few taxidermied stag's heads. It left me feeling like I should have ditched the T-shirt for some Ralph Lauren and a splash of Old Spice.
Posted by Erin Jackson, December 22, 2011 at 11:00 AM
[Photographs: Erin Jackson]
Sublime Ale House
1020 W San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos CA 92078 (map); 760-510-9220; sublimealehouse.com Cooking method: Grilled Short Order: Big, beefy burgers that are equally good with creative toppings as they are straight-up Want Fries With That? Yes! Tasty thick-cut fries come with the burger. Try a few aiolis while you're at it Price: Cheeseburger, $8.50; spinach dip burger, $11; truffle fries with Parmesan, $7 (includes 2 aiolis); additional aioli, 50¢
San Diego's beer culture, fueled by the abundance of breweries and year-round "room temperature" weather, provides fertile ground for bars and pubs. To compete, having an extensive tap list is a necessity, and almost equally important is offering a burger worth slapping down a Hamilton (or more).
Sublime Ale House does both. The tap list features dozens of local, small batch brews and the menu has a selection of smartly conceptualized burgers.
